Multi-subscriber identity module (SIM) wireless communication devices have become increasing popular because of their flexibility in service options and other features. One type of multi-SIM wireless communication device, a multi-SIM multi-standby (MSMS) device (e.g., a dual-SIM dual-standby (DSDS) device), enables two SIMs to be in idle mode waiting to begin communications, but only allows one SIM at a time to participate in an active communication due to sharing of a single radio frequency (RF) resource (e.g., a transceiver). Other multi-SIM devices may extend this capability to more than two SIMs and may be configured with any number of SIMs greater than two (i.e., multi-SIM multi-standby wireless communication devices).
Wireless communication networks (referred to simply as “wireless networks”) are widely deployed to provide various communication services such as voice, packet data, broadcast, messaging, and so on. Wireless networks may be capable of supporting communication for multiple users by sharing the available network resources. Such sharing of available network resources may be implemented by networks using one or more multiple-access wireless communications protocols, such as Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), and Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA). These wireless networks may also utilize various radio technologies, including but not limited to Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) is CDMA2000, Advanced Mobile Phone Service (AMPS), General Packet Radio Services (GPRS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), High Data Rate (HDR) technology (e.g., 1×EV technology), etc.
Since an MSMS wireless communication device typically uses a single RF resource to communicate over the multiple SIMs and/or networks, the device actively communicates using a single SIM and/or network at a given time. Therefore, during an active data communication on one SIM (e.g., the first SIM), the wireless communication device may periodically tune away to a network associated with another SIM (e.g., the second SIM) to monitor signals or acquire a connection. As a result, depending on the duration of the tune away, the wireless communication device may fail to receive control signals that are normally exchanged with the network supported by the first SIM, including messages indicating transitions between downlink modes. Such failure may cause a mismatch between the downlink mode of the wireless communication device and the corresponding downlink mode in the network. While this mismatch may be addressed by performing a cell update procedure, such procedure may involve an inefficient use of power and/or network resources, as well as degrade performance for the active communication.